Woman pleads guilty to assaulting bus driver in dispute over dog

A 19-year-old Bronx woman has been convicted of assaulting an MTA bus driver two years ago after the driver told her she could not board the bus with her dog,

Steangeli Medina pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree and will be sentenced to six months in jail, Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announced on Tuesday. She will also be sentenced to five years' probation.

The incident occurred on June 21, 2011, when Medina tried to board a BX9 bus at Third Avenue and East Fordham Road with her dog. When the bus driver told the teen that the pet had to be in a carrier to be allowed on the bus, Medina became enraged and punched the driver in the eye. She then proceeded to drag her off the bus and beat her on the sidewalk.

The driver, Marlene Bien-Aime, sustained extreme facial bruising and swelling and underwent surgery for injuries to her knee and shoulders. The beating also left Bien-Aime off the job on medical leave for one year.

Medina will have to complete a mandatory anger management program. The judge also issued an eight-year order of protection prohibiting Medina to have any contact with Bien-Aime.